In happier news

An unusual humanitarian effort is underway in New Mexico, spearheaded by one determined guy: dropping water to migrants crossing the desert in the attempt to reach the US.

At least 262 migrants who were crossing the border with Mexico have been found dead since October, a sharp increase from 178 in the comparable period last year, said Salvador Zamora, a spokesman for the United States Border Patrol in Washington. With summer temperatures above 100 degrees, most of the deaths are a result of dehydration and heat stroke.

The group takes no political position, and the Border Patrol does not object to their actions. The economic and social problems that lead people to risk their lives for a shot at crummy jobs obviously need larger solutions, but a little human aid along the way seems a wonderful gift. As one laborer put it, "The Paisanos bring a little bit of dignity and hope to a trip that nobody wants to make."

(via Bitch Ph.D.)